The Australian Chronic Disease Prevention Alliance, of which Kidney Health Australia is a member, has welcomed the decision to improve food labelling and provide clear and simple health information on food and drinks.

The Australia and New Zealand Ministerial Forum on Food Regulation made the announcement to progress added sugars labelling and further consider 10 recommendations to improve the Health Star Rating system.

According to the Alliance, the decision comes at a time when two in three Australian adults are overweight or obese, with unhealthy foods, including those high in added sugars, contributing greatly to excess energy intake and unhealthy weight gain.

Kidney Health Australia Clinical Director, A/Prof Shilpa Jesudason, said obesity was one of the risk factors of kidney disease, which affects 1 in 10 Australians.

“Improving dietary choices through better information can help in the fight against obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure and other chronic diseases that go hand in hand with chronic kidney disease,” A/Prof Jesudason said.

The kidneys play a vital role in maintaining health and wellbeing by cleaning the blood of waste and filtering the waste out via urine. Around one to two litres of waste leaves the human body each day as urine.